Mar 24, 2007, 12:43 PM
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#1 of 22
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Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner is another example of an action RPG tossed into a long-running series of random battles and the usual "line up and fight" style. I haven't played it yet myself, but supposedly it's pretty good.
Random battles get a lot of flack these days, but I still enjoy the old system. It has a nostalgic feel to it, and there are so many different variations and twists that can be added to it. Going back to SMT, press turns and weaknesses determining the number of attacks you got per round added a lot of strategy to some of the difficult bosses. Shadow Hearts: Covenant used the old turn-based for attacks, but also made your characters' positions on the battle field important if you wanted to attack several enemies at once. RPGs with turn-based random battles don't have to remain as simplistic as the old Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games.
That's not to say that they're any better than action RPGs though. Games like Secret of Mana with seamless combat are a lot of fun and don't have all the loading to sit through. I haven't played FF XII yet, and I'm not exactly desperate to do so, but my problem with it is the lack of doing anything at all in combat outside of a little menu usage. MMORPGs have more going on in battle than FF XII did.
I like the growing trend of games that mix turn-based and action. Most people have already mentioned Valkyrie Profile 2 and the Tales series, but they really are a great blend of action and the old ways. I definitely don't want to see the traditional turn-based style disappear, but action RPGs keep the genre from becoming too monotonous.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
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The Plane Is A Tiger